Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96432
Writers Take Center Stage at First Annual Lit Fest UP FRONT Latin's upper school celebrated writers and the written word during its inaugural Lit Fest this winter. For three days, locally and nationally respected authors and poets as well as faculty and student writers presented their work, shared insights about their craft and learned from one another. Covering a range of subjects from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to a teenager's camp experience to personal poems and essays about love, friendship and fitting in, the performances gave students an opportunity to see the countless forms the written word can take and the many ways writers can be inspired. The school invited acclaimed Chicago short story author Stuart Dybek, Nelson Algren Award recipient Joe Meno, National Poetry Slam champion Patricia Smith and Arizonabased poet Joni Wallace to share their writings with the community. In addition, nearly a dozen students and two faculty members – Billy Lombardo and Anne McGlinn, both published authors – took to the stage. To Lombardo, who organized Lit Fest with McGlinn, the event allowed the school to take advantage of the vibrant professional writing community in Chicago and gave students an invaluable chance to hear, talk to and work with professional writers Wilson Brehmer '12 "I hope that opportunities like Lit Fest push students to read their texts in English class a bit differently – to think of the men and women behind the text who are making decisions about every word," said Lombardo. "I hope, most of all, that they encourage students to find their own places at their own tables to write poetry and prose that puts shape to their lives." Lit Fest, which will be an annual event in the upper school, complements numerous curricular and extracurricular initiatives already under way at Latin that expose students to professional writers and celebrate their own work, such as Poetry Day in the middle school and Lower School Authors Day. Joe Meno n Patricia Smith Samantha Cohen '13 8 Latin Magazine